Peace

"When I come to a stop myself, when I draw a circle of stillness around me, my children are drawn into that peaceful place. They visibly relax, as if my very calmness nourishes them. The impact of just a few minutes of quiet attention can be profound, changing the mood of an entire day, restoring equilibrium to a distressed child, and to a frazzled mother.

We might sit side by side and draw, or gather up a stack of favorite old picture books and read them, make strange creatures out of clay, or just cuddle on the couch and listen to music as darkness falls. These are the moments when my children reveal themselves to me, when conversation spirals up and out, from the here and now into the realm of spirit and imagination. There, in that place Tennyson calls the 'quiet limit of the world,' we connect with one another at a very deep soul level. My children know then that they have my full attention and, even more important, that there's no other place I'd rather be at that moment."

Comments (2 Comments)

Posted by eila on February 02, 2012

oh, love this. just love, love, love this. thank you for a gentle reminder. it is so easy for us to try to do it all, and do it all well…and as a result, be frenetic. today, even if it’s just one day, I am going to try to slow down and enjoy the “quiet limit”.

Posted by b on February 02, 2012

pure truth. it is only during these moments that i realize how often i am typically giving my little ones about 7% of my undivided attention with the daily race of life taking precedence. thank you for posting this; it reminds me to ensure i make this type of time every day for my children. they (and i) deserve it.